The pieces are larger than in Garlic Powder or Garlic Granules. And, it’s a more expensive product than Garlic Salt, as it’s not diluted with salt.
You use Garlic Flakes in liquid dishes that undergo some cooking time, to soften the pieces and let them release the garlic flavour. Typical dishes in which they are used include soups, stews, sauces, meat loaves, and casseroles. Garlic Flakes don’t work in items such as an oil and vinegar salad dressing: a dressing has the liquid, but doesn’t have the cooking.
To make Garlic Flakes commericallly, bulbs of garlic are broken up into their cloves, which then have their skins removed by machine. The cloves are then sliced by machine into small pieces. Some may have their taste strengthened by application of a garlic oil or imitation garlic flavour. The small pieces are then moved onto trays, and passed through drying ovens. The pieces are then filtered through a mesh to ensure that the desired size of dried pieces are being obtained, then packaged.
You can do this at home, with a dehydrator or oven. The cost of electricity needed, though, may or may not make it worthwhile. In a dehydrator, you can dry them in large pieces, which you then put in a tea towel, and crush with a hammer.
For oven drying, break garlic bulbs into cloves, peel, slice thinly. Spread the pieces out on an ungreased cookie sheet. Place in 150 F (65 C) oven, turn frequently. The pieces will look decidedly dry when the liquid has cooked out, and will darken a bit. Remove them from oven, cool, and store in an air-tight container for up to a year. Storing the container in a freezer will prolong the storage life.
Equivalents
2 teaspoons garlic flakes = 1 teaspoon garlic granules = 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1 clove garlic = 1/2 teaspoon garlic flakes = 1/8 teaspoon of garlic powder